It seems wasteful to turn on the oven just to roast a few bulbs of garlic, so I always roast them alongside something else. For example, if I’m roasting potatoes, I’ll roast garlic on a separate rack. Roasted garlic usually keeps in the refrigerator for a little while, so I usually roast 3 or 4 bulbs at a time. I love adding them to my dips, sauces or spreading them on my lunch wraps. What’s your favorite way of eating roasted garlic?
COOKING NOTES FOR ROASTING GARLIC
Cooking time: If you are roasting the garlic alongside something else and the desired oven temperature isn’t 375ºF, don’t worry. You can still roast the garlic at a different temperature—just adjust the cooking time. For example, I often roast my potatoes at 400ºF. If I’m roasting garlic on a separate rack, I will start checking the garlic after 35 minutes to see if they’re done.Slicing off the tops: When roasting garlic, you want to expose the tops of the garlic cloves, so don’t be shy about slicing away a considerable portion off the top. I usually dig out the garlic chunks that are still stuck to the top and save it for something else. Alternatively, I’ll lay the garlic chunks on top of the sliced bulb and roasted everything together. The bottom line is, don’t throw away those garlic chunks!Wrapping the garlic bulbs in foil: I have found that wrapping each bulb of garlic in foil helps to soften the garlic faster. If you need to roast a huge batch of garlic at once (say, 10 to 15), lay all the bulbs on a baking dish. Cover the entire thing with one or two sheets of foil and bake. You may need to bake the garlic for an extra 5 to 15 minutes.
WAYS TO USE ROASTED GARLIC
Besides adding them to hummus, I love mashing up the garlic and adding them to my fried rice and stir fries. They also add a lovely mellow flavor to my salad dressings. Because roasted garlic is less intense than raw garlic, you can add a generous amount to your dishes. I usually add an entire bulb of roasted garlic to a batch of hummus!
